Bethany Baptist Church News

The folks at Bethany Baptist Church enjoy listening to the Christ honoring songs of the Nelson Sisters of Clinton, Arkansas. They drove up Friday afternoon after work in time to attend the Christmas Party at the home of Bob and Darlene Sorensen. When supper was over the girls sang a combination of Christmas songs in the Blue Grass style.

The Nelson Sisters sang again in all the services Sunday. Lisa Nelson sings the low harmony and plays the piano and accordion. Lana sings the high harmony, plays a bass fiddle or signs the songs. Laura usually sings the lead, plays the guitar or Banjo. Then they switch instruments or another one takes the lead. They are very talented and have developed that talent for the Lord.

Church had its Annual Soup and Pie Fellowship and card exchange at noon. Everyone got gifts from the pastor, wrapped brightly in Christmas paper. In some cases these are the only gifts that some people have to open. Some gifts are taken to the homes of shut-ins as well.

The gift giving of the season should remind us of the “Greatest Christmas Gift of All” which is described in Isaiah 9:6, “unto us a Son is given,” and explained in John 3:16, “for God so loved the world.” The Father saw the need of mankind and provided a Saviour. The gift was not limited to a select few, but is offered to every person. Human tongue cannot express all of what this gift means, for the half has not been told. Some gifts may become obsolete with the passing of time, but Jesus Christ, the unchanging God/Man, was perfect from the start. He did not have to change his moral character to be our Savior, but he can change a lost and miserable soul into a heaven bound, rejoicing saint. This gift cannot be earned, for then it would not be a gift, but it is gained when we believe the message brought by the angels and foretold by the prophets, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” If we will honestly admit that we need a Savior and humble ourselves before him in prayer, we can claim this gift. Sadly, there are many who will not claim this gift, but we must continue to tell the lost world that a Saviour has been born.